Dream a Little Dream: A Heart of Darkness AU
by Arianwen P.F. Everett
Summary: The night before she and Pooja leave for the Meridian Sector, Leia falls asleep in the bathtub and dreams.


Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. This is just a labor of love, which shall yield no profit but the satisfaction of a job well done.

Author's Note: I need to thank Vader's Fallen Angel for her assistance in beta-reading, and of course, Cka3ka, who's epic story 'Heart of Darkness' created the universe for this vignette. This story takes place in the HOD AU, between Chapter 41: Corascanti Interlude Finale and Chapter 42: Act 2'1Nabooine Perspective, the night before Pooja and Leia set off for the Meridian Sector. Enjoy!

Dream a Little Dream: An HOD AU

By Arianwen P.F. Everett

Leia Organa Naberrie Skywalker, the Lady Vader, Princess of Alderaan, Imperial Senator, and Sith Apprentice sighed deeply as she sunk into her warm bathtub. Say what you will about C-3PO. Her mechanical brother, as she jokingly referred to him around her father, knew how to draw an excellent bubble bath. She hoped, when this mission to the Meridian Sector was over and she returned D-4's program to its usual chassis, her bodyguard droid would retained this particular skill, along with his hundreds of thousands of ways to terminate organic sentients.

All right, no more work, this was her time to herself and she wasn't going to waste it thinking of droids and slavers and senate committees. Her only decision right now would be which of her favorite fantasies to enjoy tonight.

Perhaps that senior from her and Viqi's alma mater back on Kuat; what was his name, Lodel… Something. Nah, he was hot, but he never looked at her twice, unless she happened to be standing next to Viqi at the time. Occasionally it was exciting to imagine driving him mad with lust, despite not being his type or a social equal in his eyes, but to be honest, Leia wasn't in the mood for a drawn out fantasy tonight.

Briefly she considered Sarev Quest, but that storyline always started with a seduction and then degraded into her tying the idiot to a bed, in a soundproof room, and practicing some of her darkest party tricks on him.

No, that wasn't what she was looking for. She'd likely get the chance to play with the darkside in the coming days; she'd never gotten a chance to play with a naked man, and likely wouldn't anytime in the foreseeable future. Sometime being a Sith Lord-in-training majorly bit the big one, but at least a young Sith like herself had the potential of passionate, bed-hoping fun to look forward to down the road, unlike a Jedi at any age. Chuckling to herself, she made a mental note to use that argument on Siri next time they started discussing the merits and drawbacks of their two respective ideologies, but Siri wasn't who she wanted to be thinking of at the moment either.

As she dipped deeper into the suds, her mind flitted to its inevitable destination on indecisive nights like this, that sexy spice smuggler she'd been hunting on Nar Shaddaa, before she'd been attacked by Black Sun. Han Solo, sans Wookie sidekick, was the epitome of warm bath fantasies, and required so little plotline. He'd be on some planet somewhere, having arrived at a cheap hotel room, to meet a contact who never showed. He'd go to take a bath before bed, and find her there in the tub. Shamelessly, she'd stand up, naked and slick with soap, and those warm hazel eyes of the smuggler would take in her glistening body, forcing him to swallow hard. Leia closed her eyes, waiting for the long scripted, hoarsely uttered words this particular fantasy always began with, "You're my contact?"

But those words never came. Instead, Solo jumped back and drew his blaster. "Who in the nine hells are you and what are you doing in my room?!"

Startled, Leia's usual fantasy confidence slipped away from her, as she fumbled out a line, hoping to get things back to normal. "I'm your contact."

"Contact?! Look Little Girl, I don't know who you are or who you think I am, but… ah, Prendor sent you, didn't he? You're supposed to be some sort of recruiting inducement right? Well, tell your boss I'm not into kiddies and he'll have to take my employment up with Jabba himself. I still have six more runs on my contract, and I'm not suicidal enough to skip out on a deal with him," Han Solo replied, happy to have figured out what the sweet brunette before him was up to before all the blood in his body had drifted southward. Young or not, she was an eyeful.

"Firstly, my name is none of your concern. Secondly, I don't really know or care who this Prendor thug is. Thirdly, if I was that intent on having you work for me, you'd be doing so already, and the hutt would be a giant cinder block. And last but most certainly not least, I'm NOT a Little Girl," Leia rebutted, her voice dropping sensually, as she climbed out of the bathtub and made her way to a still cautious Solo. Sure this wasn't her usual fantasy, but then perhaps her mind had grown tired of the old and was creating something new.

Taking one final step towards Solo, she reached for his collar, while at the same time, grabbing his blaster with the force and hurling it across the hotel bathroom. Her intent had been to kiss him and press her wet, slick body against his in an attempt to weaken his resolve. Unfortunately Solo twisted in her grasp and the wet floor sent them both sprawling.

"Get off of me, ya little nympho! I'm not interested!" Solo shouted, once the wind that had been knocked out of him filled his lungs again. Pulling himself to his feet, he disengaged himself from the girl's now less aggressive fingers.

"No pain," Leia stated, not having noticed Solo's escape. There was no pain from the fall. She was stunned, but there should have at least been a slight bruising from the way she had hit the hard tile, only the pain hadn't manifested.

And that wasn't the only thing not right. Solo was totally out of character. He usually started out standoffish and suspicious, but not aggressive, and the minute she wantonly pressed her naked body to him, asking nothing in return, he decided to take advantage of his good fortune, let her strip him nude, and returned with her to the sudsy bath. That was supposed to be the script, not this awkward battle of wills.

"Yeah, I noticed. Lucky us," Solo commented, realizing he too felt no pain, and the girl had fallen on him, more than he on her. What was going on here? Last thing he remembered, he had been in his cabin, reading up on the new motivators coming out of Seinan Systems, and pondering whether or not he and Chewie should invest in one for the Falcon once they finished this contract with Jabba, and the next minute, he was walking into a hotel bathroom to find this chick, naked and eager to take him from idle to hyperdrive without so much as an introduction.

"You call this lucky? What am I asking you for? You're just a figment of my imagination," Leia commented glumly, wrapping a towel around herself and pushing past Solo into the hotel bedroom. The mood was broken, and her current frustration had nothing to do with adolescent hormones.

"Whoa, Sweetheart, I may not know exactly what's going on here, but I assure you I'm 100% real," Han shot back defensively, using his superior height to tower over the girl and prove his claim to reality.

"Now, that's more like it!" Leia stated triumphantly, throwing her arms around Solo's neck. Obviously her mind had taken a slight detour, but now the fantasy was right on track, the spark of passion in Solo's eyes as he tried to dominate her with his stare and his bulk had reignited her ardor. Sure her fantasy flyboy wasn't on cue as he was most nights, but this change in attitude had its advantages.

Han went slack for a second, then just as suddenly pushed Leia backwards, causing her to fall on the bed. "What is with you, Little Girl?! Didn't anyone ever teach you no means no?!"

"My mistake; I didn't realize I had to wine and dine a bathtub fantasy! Would you like candy and sappy poetry as well, Captain Solo?"

"Well, I've never been one for poetry, but as for the candy, sure! I have a sweet-tooth just like anyone else, why not?" Solo shot back, considering that maybe the girl had a point about this all being a fantasy. If it wasn't for her age, she'd be his exact type, quick witted and fiery tempered. Not to mention, he'd already seen enough of it to know her nicely developed body was just made for him. Maybe this was a dream, but his dream, and if it was only a dream, then her age didn't matter either.

Looking at the frustrated young woman, he sighed. It mattered. It mattered more than anything else. His own childhood had been cut short by those who sought their own benefit and pleasure, without consideration of his needs or even his survival. Then Dewlanna started caring for him, educating him, tending his injuries, all despite the fact that they weren't even the same species. He had saved Chewie's life to repay his debt to one of Dewlanna's kind, but now he came to realize his debt could only truly be repaid if he learned from his own history. Sure she looked almost a woman but almost didn't count. Even in a dream, doing what he wanted with this girl, without regard to what she needed would mark him as unworthy of either Dewlanna or Chewie's respect. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you bait me like that. You're just a kid. Shouting at you was inappropriate, but you have to admit, your coming onto me was a bit inappropriate too. How old are you anyway, fifteen, sixteen?"

"Seventeen, but what does that matter?" Leia asked, calming down despite her irritation at being called a kid.

"It matters. Unfortunately, in this godsforsaken galaxy it rarely changes anything, but it should always matter," Han pressed, moving to the other end of the hotel room, as if to distance himself from his past or his own foolish idealism, both of which were too close to the surface for his comfort.

"You aren't merely a fantasy, are you?" Leia asked, a simple numbness having suffused her. She should have been embarrassed about her previous actions or about her state of undress, but somehow she wasn't. Something about this man called to her on a deep level, one far deeper than lust, and she had to make sure he was okay before she woke.

"No, but as devastatingly handsome as I am, the mistake is understandable and not that uncommon," Han quipped, earning both a smile and an eye roll, which pleased him.

"Right. Look. For what it's worth, I'm sorry I dragged you into my over-complicated psyche. I'm not even sure how it happened, but I apologize for the inconvenience," Leia diplomatically stated, a blush beginning to pink her skin.

She knew Solo would chalk this whole thing up to a crazy dream, and Leia eagerly concluded that this little, unintentional, dream projection ability might have other, more salient uses than enlivening fantasies. She'd have to test it out once she had a better understanding of what she'd actually done. However, looking at Solo now, she felt somewhat guilty. She had treated him as if he were a piece of meat. Grant it, that's precisely what she'd seen the fantasy Solo as being, but in fantasies, nobody was truly objectified or demeaned. Everyone was supposed to have a good time. Whether or not Solo knew it, she had imposed on him, and despite his trade and lifestyle, he'd refused to take advantage of her, no matter how shamelessly she'd thrown herself at him. The real man wasn't anything like she'd assumed he was on Nar Shaddaa, when she'd thought him a completely amoral spice smuggler and tried to capture him for the bounty on his head. If anything, this made him more disturbing.

"Don't worry about it. If anything, I'm kind of flattered. I wish girls as hot as you would have gotten all crazy over me when I was your age," Han replied, letting the girl off the hook. She had to be embarrassed. He knew he would be in her place.

"You're not _that_ much older than me," Leia defended, but her happiness at his having called her hot seemed to take the sting out of any real annoyance. In her experience, hot was Viqi Sheesh or Mara Jade, not short, plain Leia Organa Naberrie Skywalker. In the force, she outshined every woman alive, but in terms of physical attractiveness, she was about average. Solo's words made her feel sexy, as well as truly grateful for the feeling.

"Old enough, Sweetheart, old enough," Han firmly insisted, not wanting to leave any opening for the girl to read too much into his compliment. Despite the trauma he'd endured at her age, he'd had all the usual crushes any red-blooded, human teenager had. He remembered how the smallest kind word from the lips of the object of your affections was perceived as a declaration of undying love, an invitation for sexual exploration, and a promise to cure all your loneliness.

Looking into the girl's eyes he saw much of the same loneliness he'd known at her age, a brief life spent running and surviving, rather than living in the moment, as teenagers were supposed to do. Her eyes told the tale of someone far older, as if she were saddled with obligations that were sapping the joy of being young from her.

"Maybe it's for the best, then," Leia said wistfully, wrapping her arms around her middle. A part of her knew it was true, the age difference was significant. Not to mention, with her life, it was totally impractical to get involved with anyone. Her parents had tried to merge a romantic relationship with all their duties and obligations in the middle of a war and look where it had gotten them. Even if there was a way for her and Solo to bridge the age gap, and the multitude of gaps between fantasy and the waking world, anything between them would be a risk.

"Hey, don't look so glum. You'll find a great guy your own age. I'll find a woman closer to mine. Trust me, we'll both come up Sabac; you'll see," Han said reassuringly. He knew for his own part it wishful thinking. He had yet to have a stable relationship that didn't end in betrayal or death, but this girl had a good shot, particularly if her current circumstances held. From what he could tell, she was quite well heeled now, even if his predictions about her past mirroring his in uncertainty were accurate. She'd probably find some rich man, fall in love, and live happily ever after. She seemed a good kid who deserved that fate.

"I hope for both our sakes that you're right," Leia replied with a small smile.

"Of course I am. After all, with age comes wisdom, right?" Han preened, plopping himself down on the single roughly-upholstered chair in the room.

"Along with wrinkles, grey hair, and erectile dysfunction, or so I'm told," Leia quipped, fighting off a giggle at Solo's shocked expression.

"I wouldn't know about that," Han deadpanned, amusement still coursing through him. This one was a spitfire alright. She'd make some man very lucky one day.

"Ah, then the senility is setting in as well. That explains that ship you fly when you're awake," Leia chided, finally loosing the battle and doubling over with laughter at the chagrined expression on Solo's face.

"Hey, it's one thing to insult me; it's another thing to insult the Falcon. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, as does her Captain I might add!" Han defended, jumping to his feet at the mortal insults to both himself and his beloved ship. He at least could defend himself. Well, so could she, but not in an argument.

"Is that a dare or a double dare?" Leia shot back seductively, playfully climbing back onto the bed and toying with the tied off towel that she wore around her.

"Don't tease me," Han warned firmly, refusing to look away as he knew she expected him to do.

"What ya gonna do, dream up your Wookie to defend your virtue?" Leia challenged, climbing to her knees, and placing her hands on her hips.

"Hey, how do you know about Chewie… and the Falcon for that matter?! Who are you?" Han asked, suddenly realizing in all their banter he hadn't even learned the girl's name. She, on the other hand, knew plenty about him, and Han Solo didn't like being at such a disadvantage.

Leia struggled. "My name…"

"Yeah, you're name. You know, that thing people call you when they want to get your attention? Stands in place of 'Hey You'," Han quipped, giving her his most disarming smile, the one that always seemed to work on women.

Leia's heart turned over at that smile. Every fiber in her being wanted to trust him. The warm look in his hazel eyes broke something in her soul. All her life she'd been so confident. Siri called it arrogant, but that wasn't exactly the right word. Arrogance was false confidence, or overconfidence. Leia never promised more than she could deliver. She had never promised this man any explanation, yet some elemental part of her being insisted she owed him this. And yet, she owed her father, owed Luke, owed Jix, Nura, Pooja, Viqi, Siri, all of the people who the Emperor would destroy for hiding her from him, if this man betrayed her. "I… I can't… I…"

Seeing the distress in the young girl's eyes, Han felt like the biggest jerk in the outer rim. The kid was virtually trembling in fear and desperation. He of all people should know how powerful names could be when living on the fringes of society. A name could mark you for death or save your life in one breath if the right weight and enough credits were behind it. "Look, you don't have to tell me, I just…"

"Leia. My name is Leia," Leia suddenly spat out, and a weight lifted from her soul. Silently, she waited for another to replace it. That had always been the bargain. She told Pooja, and now she had another non-force sensitive life to protect. She told Siri and forever after she had to self censor her use of the dark side, lest she alienate her Jedi master and loose her affection. There was always a price to revealing who she really was, and knowing so little about Han Solo, that price was likely to be huge.

"It's pretty. It suits you," Han determined, letting the name run through his mind a few times, as he continued to consider it.

"Thank you," Leia replied uncertainly. She was still waiting for the other boot to drop, and she knew she always would. That was the price of being a Sith. The dark side had no loyalty. It was always looking for a replacement, always looking for you to drop your guard so that it could choose a new champion and undermine all you'd worked for. As kind and gentle as this man seemed, the dark side could be working through him towards her destruction. She cared more than she wanted, but she wouldn't completely lower her defenses.

"Well, Leia, my name's Han. It's nice to meet you," Han offered the girl his hand to shake. He felt foolish, introducing himself now. She obviously knew who he was, and more than that, he felt like he'd known her for years, as absurd as that might sound.

Leia smiled brightly as she climbed off the bed to shake his hand… and had her hand slip straight through his.

"What's going on?!" Han asked, confusion and a touch of worry replacing the playfulness of the previous moment.

"I don't know. I think I'm waking up, or you are, or we both are," Leia answered, trying to calm Solo down, and becoming irritated herself. She didn't want to go, didn't want to loose hold of this wonderful dream. She lived in such a closed off world. She truly knew so few people, even fewer that she liked and could become friends with. Han Solo had that potential, even if he had no interest in her sexually. She wanted to stay, fought for it, but nothing could keep the image of Han Solo from growing dimmer and dimmer with each passing second.

Finally realizing the futility of her fight, she gave Solo one final wave goodbye, before angrily flinging herself back to consciousness, splashing and sputtering as she slid along the smooth surface of her bathtub. Gripping the sides of the bath, Leia stood up, letting the cool air bring her to complete wakefulness.

A knock on the door grabbed her attention before she could begin to contemplate what had just happened.

"Leia, are you alright?" Siri Tachi's worried voice questioned.

"I'm fine, Siri. Just fell asleep in the tub. I'll be out in a moment," Leia calmly insisted to her Jedi teacher.

While she was genuinely touched by Siri's devotion to her safety, her mind was still on the dream and working a mile a minute to figure out how it had been done. Perhaps before bed she'd ask Siri if she had any such experience with the force. It hadn't felt dark, but it definitely had resulted from some force power Leia hadn't realized she had. Her first order of business had to be getting it under control. The second, to figure out how to do it again but on her timetable.

The possibilities were endless. Leia imaged interrupting Viqi or Pooja in one of their dreams, and the shocked look that would accompany such an intrusion. She also imagined her and her father, as handsome as he had once been before Mustafar, tinkering on swoop bikes with Luke, while all the galaxy dreamed. Due to his bedtime treachery against his former master, Sideous didn't sleep, which might make this an excellent means of sending messages even if he were nearby or had turned his eye too closely on his apprentice.

And perhaps, once she had evaluated the whole disturbing incident with a fine comb, Leia might even return, in dreams, to the Millennium Falcon, and her very yummy Captain, again.


End file.
